Process of reducing refractory metallic oxids.



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PROCESS OF REDUCING REFRACTORY METALLIC OXIDSJ Specification of Iiettersl atent. I Patented May 30, 1911.

No Drawing." 'briginal application filed pctober 9, 1908, Serial No.456,926. Divided and this application 1 filed February 1911. Serial No.607,689.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIDEoN BOERIGKE, a citizen of the -United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Reducing RefractoryMetallic Oxids, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has particular relation to those alloys in which vanadium,molybdenum, tungsten or similar metals are combined with iron, copper,or other metals, and the present application constitutes a division ofmy ap lication Serial Number 456,926, filed Octo er 9th, 1908.

Various processes have'been heretofore used forithe production offerro-vanadium andother alloys, and among such processes there are some1n which sil con, ferro-sllicon, or aluminum 1s largely used, as areducmg agent, and in carrying out certain of the said' prior processesit has been found that the resulting product contains an objectionablevquantity of silicon or other like reducing agent. Substantially similardifliculties have been encountered in connection with the reduction ofvanadium and other metals where the reducing agent employed is of acharacter, which, if it remains in the resultant product in a percentagegreater than a practically allowable amount, renders said productinferior.

1 One of the primary objects of my inventionvis the provision of aprocess in which the above enumerated difficulties will, be overcome,that is to say, in which a reducing agent will be employed which wouldremain in the resultant product only in small percentages, and which isof a character that percentages 1n which it occurs.

A further object of my invention is the use of steps and materials whichwill produce a product of uniformity and at a reduced cost.

In carrying out my invention I em loy any suitable oxid or compound ofvanadium, molybdenum, tungsten or similar metals, such for-example, asvanadate of iron, which oxid or" compound I mix with man anese metal andalso some form of flux, as or instance, s1l1ca or common sand, the samebeing put in a suitable vessel and subjected to.

suflicient heat to effect a reduction of the vanadium and iron, or othermetals which it is desired to combine with the vanadium; the resultantproduct in theabove example where vanadate of iron is used beingferrovanadium and a slag composed chiefly of oxids of silicon andmanganese. In carrying out the process referred to I prefer to use somecarbon.

Having thus described my invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent is the following 1. The process of producing. vanadium, tungsten,molybdenum, and their alloys which consists in reducing oxids or comillustrated its use,-what I claim as-new and I pounds of vanadium,tungsten, and molybdenum in the presence of heat by the use oflfp'angan'ese metal together with a suitable ux. 1 i

2. The process of producing vanadium, tungsten, molybdenum and similarmetals and their alloys which consists in reducing oxids or compounds ofvanadium, tungsten, molybdenum and similar metals in the presence ofheatby the use of maganese metal together with carbon and a suitableflux.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence ofthe two subscribed witnesses,

GIDEON BOERICKE.

Witnesses: V

G. M. FINLEr, ARTHUR BAR'rscH.

